Vacuum tube mode lock forming apparatus



J 9, 15o E SIRF 2,367,147

VACUUM TUBE MODE LOCK FORMING APPARATUS Filed June 17, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l /NVEA/rO/E E; S/EP 19V/,447 ,4 A7@ ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1945.

E. slRP I VACUUM TUBE MODE LOCK FORMING APPARATUS Filed June 1'7', 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 VVE/woe S/RP Jan.9,1945. 55ml 42,367,147

VACUUM TUBE MODE LOCK FORMING APPARATUS Filed June 17, 194s 4 sheets-sheet 5 /NVENTOE E. Shep ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1945. E. sxRP 3672147 VACUUM TUBE MODE LOCK FORMING APPARATUS Filed June 17, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 /NVENTOE Q -E S//eP HTTOE/VEY Patented Jan.` 9, 1945 2,357,147 l vntnnuivrv TUBE MODE Loon FORMING APPARATUS' Emil Sirp,fDowners Grove, Ill.,lassignor to West-` ernEl'ectric Company, IncorporatecL-New York,` N.,Y;, a corporation of 4New York ApplicatibnLJune' 17;19`43, Serial No. 4912130 u 10i claims'. 01. 14o-71).

Thisy invention relatesfto articley forming appa'- ratus and more particularly toa punch press operated apparatusv forv forming vacuum 'tube mode 'locks'.V y

Inv the manufacture offmode locksffrcontrolling characteristics ofvacuuni tubes, it is neces'- sary that'rthe modek locks beformed' to "apredetermined configuration Withajhigh degree of 4accuracyl so that'theyf willi effectively serve their purpose in the vacuum tube:` yintowhich; they are tobe assembled'. j

It is an object of-thepresent invention to provide aI simple apparatus forf rapidly andf accue ratelyj forming articles.

Inv accordance with one embodiment of` the'Av invention, apparatusi's provided'l foi-'forming a modelock, which comprises an arcuately *shaped body-portion with integrallylfrmed tiDS,l extend#- ingfatri'ght angles tothearcuate vportionthereof.vr A1 series of horizontally and vertically` movable tools adapted for actuation'by 'apunchpressfram serve to successively shearr a section of cylindri-r calstockfrom `a supplSr thereof, grip thefsheared offA portion, and' bend itY to arcuate' configuration by sliding horizontally" and' thereafterthe' sameY tools are movedverticallyto carrythearcuately shaped;v part against fixed abutments which serverto bendE the ends of the formed partj at right` angles to the arcuate portionthereof. The'stock to be formed-y is automaticallyfed tothe shearing` and forming tool byl any1 suitable feedingAvr device adaptedito be actuatedby-thepunch pressfram in A its=reciprocation- A better understanding of the invention will be had? byl referencek tothefollowing detailed description whenconsideredf in conjunctiony with" theA accompanying` drawings; wherein n Fig. 1 is a plansection showing'fthe bed ofy a;

punch'y press in elevationjand the toolsmounted :thereon and showing the liner pins offthepress andlsome ofthe actuatingmembers forthe toolsl in section;

Fig. 2 isa. transverse vertical sectional View' taken substantially along theline `2'`-2of1'ig. 1

in the direction of the'arrows;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken' alongA the` line 3 3 ofl Fig." 1 in' the direction` of the arrows; f Fig. 4'is an enlarged fragmentary detailedplan view showing the tools in the positionthey occupy' aftera sectionof stock-has been cut olf an'd'bent to arcuate configuration and prior to the forining-of theJupstandingl tipsthereon' Fig. 5^'- is a" vertical' sectionalAv view` taken subdirectionof the arrows, parts being' broken away to illustrateA more clearly the construction of the tools'and their relative position in the apparatus;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary' detail View in plan showing the cut-off part after the ends thereof have been bent upwardly;

Fig. y'7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially' along the line 1-1 of Fig. 6 in the direction ofthe arrows; and' l Fig. 8'isa detail Viewy of the mode lock formed in2 the' apparatus showing the' various positions" of the stock in dot and dashlins.

AIn thel drawings; whereinlikereference characters designate the sameparts throughout the severalA views, there is shown in Fig. '8 al mode lock',v designated' generally' by the numeralu HJ;r which is' to beformed in the apparatus constituting the present invention. The mode lock |0` has an arcuately shaped section |-I and upwardly extending tips |12- and i3. Inthe operation of the apparatus, stock, as indicated by the dot and dash lines I4; is fed into the pressi and in the rst portion of' the down-stroke ofthe lram of the press, as will be described more in detail hereinafter, the stock is cut off at I5"and bentv to form the arcuately shaped section Hl which has Athe straight extensions I6-andr I1' at' its ends,l which are, in a Subsequent operation of the apparatus, bent upwardly to form the tips I2andy I3'. The stock'lA is fed from a suitable supply thereof (not shown) by any suitable feeding mechanism, which includes' a cam roller 2|] mounted on an actuator rod 2lv of the stock feeding device' and held in position to be moved'tothe right (Fig. '3)' by 'a cam 2v2 mounted upon a ram `23 of a* punch press. Asfis lusual in apparatus` of this type, the cam 22will, on the down-stroke of the ram 2'3; force the actuator rod 2| to the right through the interaction of the cam roller 20 "to prepare the stock feeding deviceffor feeding apredetermined length of stockl I4v into theap'- paratus on the up-stroke of the ram 23; cam roller 20, as pointedA out hereinbefore, is

kmounted" on the end of the actuator rod 2l and the actuator rod 2|V is slidable to the right'and left' (Fig. 3) to effect feeding of the stock, being" suitably mounted on a base 24er ofthe stock feeding mechanism, which is, in turn, suitably secured to a bolster plate 25 mounted upon a bed 26' of a punch press which includes the ram 23. The mechanism for actuating the ram 2-3 of the punch has notl been shown in detail hereinbefore,V but may comprise any suitable punch press' mechanism adapted for automatic operation to repeatedly force the ram 2'3 downwardly from The the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and then retract it to that position. The ram of the punch press 23 has the usual guide sleeves 21-21 mounted in it for receiving liner pins 28-28 mounted on the bolster plate 25 to insure the proper registration of the various mechanisms carried by the ram with those mounted on the bed 26 and bolster plate 25 of the press.

A bracket 29 (Fig. l) attached to the bolster plate 25 by means of socket head screws 30 is -provided with a shearing face 3| and a guide aperture 32. The stock |4 is directed, by the stock feeding mechanism, through the guide aperture 32 each time the ram 23 is moved upwardly and a length of stock will be cut off from the supply thereof by a shearing edge 33 (Fig. 4) formed on a tool 34 cooperating with the shearing face 3| of the bracket 29. The tool 34 is mounted upon a tool supporting slide 35, as seen most clearly in Figs. 2, 5 and 7, which is slidably mounted on a slide supporting plate 36. The tool supporting slide 35 is held on the plate by cooperating rails 31 and 38, which, together with the plate 36, form ways for guiding the tool supporting slide in its travel.

The slide supporting plate 36 is mounted uponv a pair of posts and 5|, which are slidable in apertures 52 and 53 formed in the bolster plate 25 and the plate 36 is urged upwardly to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 by compression springs 54-54, 55--55 and 56--56. The springs 54, and 56 surround headed retainer pins 45--45 and are seated in recesses 46-46 and 41-41 formed in the under surface of the plate 36 and the upper surface of the bolster plate 25, respectively. The Shanks of the retainer pins 45--45 are threaded into the plate 36 and are freely slidable in shouldered apertures 48-48 formed in the bolster plate 25 coaxially with the recesses 41--41 in such manner that the heads on the retainer pins will engage shoulders 49-49 and limit the upward movement of the plate 3E with respect to the bolster plate 25.

Formed in the tool supporting slide 35 is a recess 51 (Fig. 2) in which a V-shaped leaf spring 58 is secured by means of a machine screw 59. The two legs of the leaf Spring, as shown most clearly in Fig. l, normally support a pair of pins 60-60 in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The pins 6|), being thus carried by the tool supporting slide 35, are normally held in the positi-on shown in Fig. 2, but when the tool supporting slide 35 is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 5, as will be described hereinafter, the pins 60 are moved over into vertical registration with stationary pins 6|-6|, extending upwardly from the bolster plate 25. The tool supporting slide 35 has a cam slot formed in it, which is defined by the cam faces 62 and 63. A continuation of the cam face 62 is formed on a plate 64, which is suitably attached on the upper surface of the tool 'supporting slide 35. Slidable in shouldered apertures 65--65 in the plate 64 are a pair of stripper actuating rods 66, which have their right ends (Figs. 1 and 2) threaded into ja stripper' supporting plate 61,

l which, in turn, carries a stripper finger 68. Surrounding the stripper actuating rods 66 are comi the tool supporting slide to the right and left, respectively (Fig. 2), when the ram 23 is moved downwardly and then upwardly.

Positioned to cooperate with the tool 34 is a tool 18 having an arcuately shaped and shouldered forming edge 19. The tool 18 is mounted upon a tool supporting slide 80, which is slidable between rails 8| and 82 (Fig. 1) mounted upon a slide supporting plate 83. The slide supporting plate 83 is similar to the plate 36, and is normally urged to the position shown in Fig. 2 by compression springs 84-84 positioned between it and the upper surface of the bolster plate 25, guide posts 85-85 being fixed to the plate 83 and being slidable in apertures 86-86 formed in the bolster plate 25. The tool sup-porting slide 80 has a cam slot formed in it which is provided with camming faces 81 and 88 adapted to cooperate with cam faces 89 and 90 on cam member 9|, similar to the cam member 15 attached tov the ram 23. The 'cam face 90 is adapted to engage the cam face 88 and cam the tool supporting slide 80 to the left (Fig. 2) when the ram 23 is moved downwardly to carry the tool 18 into engagement with the stock I4 to cooperate with the tool 34 in forming the stock after the shearing edge 33 of the tool 34 has cut a length of stock from the supply.

After the cam members 15 and 9| have cammed the tool supporting slides 35 and 80 toward the stock, to grip, shear and form the stock, continued downward movement of the ram 23 will move an actuator block 95 into engagement with the upper surfaces of the tools 34 and 18 and will push the tools, the tool supporting slides 35 and 86 and the slide supporting plates 36 and 63 downwardly against the action of the 'compression springs 54, 55, 56 and 84. Since the tools i8 and 34 will, at this time be gripping the sheared off length of stock I4 between them and will have completed the forming of the section of the mode lock I8, the pins 60, which are at this time in alignment with the stationary pins 5|, will be held stationary by the pins 6| while the cut-off length of stock and the tools move downwardly, thereby to bend up the tip portions |2 and |3 of the modelock. The actuator block is provided with recesses |00 and to receive the upwardly bent tips |2 and I3 of the mode lock, which are bent upwardly by the forming pins 60.

A more complete understanding of the apparatus may be had by reference to the following brief description of the mode of operation thereof.

After a supply of stock 4 has been suitably attached to the feeding mechanism and inserted in the guide aperture 32, the punch press may be operated to reciprocate the ram 23. Each time the ram 23 moves downwardly, the cam 22 will strike the cam roller 20 to force the actuator rod 2| to the right and store energy in the feeding mechanism to feed a measured length of stock |4 to the forming and shearing portion of the apparatus. On the first stroke of the ram 23, the product formed may be incomplete, but on each succeeding stroke a complete mode lock l0 will be formed in the apparatus. The length of stock necessary to form a complete mode lock will be fed through the guide aperture 32 on each stroke of the punch press, the feeding of the stock occurring as the punch press ram 23 moves upwardly.

vAs the ram 23 moves downwardly, the cam members 15 and 9| will move the tool supporting slides 35 and 80 toward each other. The first poraee-*g'il't y tenis-supported by the "bolster plate for actuation by v'tl-1e cam members, 'tool slides lIesilientlyf mounted "on 'the bolster plate for slidably Isuptitn'orftnleteo1ste engagejtiie-steek 1ra win te the stripper linger "76B, -f-wbich will clamp jthje stock-between^itse1f `and the farcuately shaped yand shcu'ldered 'forming edgellly of tbeftool 18.

Just 'after the stock is engaged by 'the finger.. t8* and forming edge 19, the shearing-edg-eea or the tool3l will-shear the extending length of stock from vthe supply thereof. "As the cam members 15 and-91 fcontinuejtheir downward movement,y the ysheared-'off lent'gh v'of s'tcck'will lbe pinched between tne'tools 34 and 1B to form the arcuate'ly shaped section l1 (Fig. 8) `o'f the mode lock 'I0-n While the rtools are still 'urged intol engagement lwi'th 'the thus partially formed Inode lock du'e to the engagement ofthe straight portio'ns of 'the cam members 15 and 8| -with/thevertical porticnsof'the fcam'ming vrfaces v62 andf88, the actuator block 95 will engage the uppersurfaces 4of' the 'too1s`i334 and 18 "and will' forcethe tools and tool supporting slides 35'and yBIl, together with the slide supporting plates 36 and 83, downf wardly. -Since the formingi'pins` 60 have beenl carried over into'alignment with the stationary pins .6I due to the movement of the tool slide [35 to the position shown in Fig. 5, the pins 60 f will be held stationary while the partially formed mode lock I ismoved downwardly. The straight extensions I6 and I1 at the ends ofthe curved or arcuately shapedsection Il will be engaged by the pins 60 due to the movement of the tools 34 and 18 downwardly and the tips I2 and I3 will thus be bent upwardly against the side edges of the tool 18 and in the notch formed by the porting" the tools, and means on the 'ram for moving the teolstowardthe bolster plate after the tools have been actuated by the cam niembers.

- y 4. In 4an article cable ram, a stationary bolster plate associated 4with, thev ram, cam members carried by the ram,

to'ols sup-ported by the bolster plate for actuag ti'on by the cam members, 'tool slides resiliently mounted on the bolster plate for slidably supporting the tools, means on the ram for moving the tools toward the bolster plate after the tools have been actuated by the cam members, and mean'son the bolster plate for imparting ,relative movement to 'one of the tools with respectto others of the tools when the tool slide is moved toward the bolster plate.

o l-. an article forming apparatus, a reciprocablef'ifam, 'a stationary bolster plate associated with the ram, cam members carried by the ram, tools supported by the bolster plate for actuation by the vcam members, tool slides resiliently mounted on the bolster plate for slldably sup- Hporting the tools, means on the ram for moving arcuately shaped surface of the tool 3 4 and the straight front and rear edges of the tool 18. As the ram 23 moves upwardly, the cam surfaces 11 and 89 on the cam members 'I5 and 9| will move they tool supporting slides and 80 apart to release the tools 34 and 18 from the formed mode lock I0. However, the mode lock will be held, fora short time, against the tool 18 by the 'strip-- per finger B8 as'the tool 18 moves to the right (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6)'and will be carried into alignment with a part receiving aperture or passage I02, into which it will be dropped when finger 68 disengages from it. In this manner, for each reciprocation of the ram 23, a complete mode lock I0 will be formed with a high degree rof precision. f

What is claimed is:

1. In an article forming apparatus, means for feeding a predetermined length of stock to a predetermined position, tools slidable to' engage the stock at said position, means on one of said tools for shearing a length of stock from the supply, vmeans for moving said tools at right angles to their sliding movement, and pins carried by one of said tools for engagement with portionsv the tools toward the bolster plate after the tools vhavebeen actuated by the cam members, a shearing edge on one of said tools for shearing a length of stock from the supply thereof, and a stripper finger carried by one of the tools for' clamping the sheared-oil" part against another tool 'prior to the' completion of the forming lof the sheared-01T part.

6. In an article forming apparatus, a pair of [forming tools, means on one of said tools for shearing a length of stock from a supply thereof,

one of saidpair of forming tools being concave of the length of stock which has been sheared from the supply to bend the ends of the length of stock` when the tools move the body of the stock at right angles to the sliding movement of the tools. y f

v2. In an article forming apparatus', a pair of forming tools, means on one of said tools for shearing a length of stock from a supply thereof, a tool supporting slide, a slide supporting plate for resiliently supporting said slide, and a common actuating means for imparting sliding movement to said. tools and for movingsaid tools at right angles to their direction of sliding movement.

3. In an article forming apparatus, .a reciprocable ram, a stationary bolster plate associated with the ram, cam members carried by the ram,

and the other being convex to form an arcuate portion in the sheared-off length of stock, and

means carried by one of said tools and movable relative thereto for bending the tips of the sheared-off length of stock at right angles to the arcuately formed portion thereof.

'7. In an article forming apparatus, a pair of forming tools, means on one of said tools for shearing a length of stock from a supply thereof, a tool supporting slide, aslide supporting plate for resiliently supporting said slide, a common actuating means for imparting sliding movement to said tools` and for moving said` tools at right angles to their direction of sliding movement, one of said pairs of forming tools being concave and the other being convex to form an arcuate portion in the sheared-off length of stock, means carried by one of said tools and movable relative thereto for bending the tips of the shearedoff length of stock at right angles to the arcuately formed portion thereof, including means on the common actuating means for moving both ofthe pairs of tools together, forming pins carried by one of said tools and normally held in a predetermined position, and xed abutments for holding ysaid forming pins stationary while the tools move together. Y

8. In an apparatus for forming vacuum tube mode locks', a pair of cooperating bending tools movable toward each other to form an arcuate bend in a length of stock, means carried by one forming apparatus, a reciproto align with said forming pins when the bendingv tools have completed the bending of the arcuate bend, and means for moving said tools to engage the forming pins With the stationary abutments to bend up the ends of the previously bent length of stock.

9. In an apparatus for forming vacuum tube mode locks, a pair of cooperating bending tools movable toward each other to form an arcuate bend in a length of stock, means carried by one of said forming tools for shearing the length of stock from a supply thereof, forming pins carried by said tool, stationary abutments positioned to align with said forming pins when the bending tools have completed the bending of holding said forming pins in a predetermined position relative to the bending tools.

10. In an apparatus for forming vacuum tube mode locks, a pair of cooperating bending tools movable toward each other to form an arcuate bend in a length of stock, means carried by one of said forming tools for shearing the length of stock from a supply thereof, forming pins carried by said tool, stationary abutments positioned to align with said forming pins When the bending tools have completed the bending of the arcuate bend, means for moving said tools to engage the forming pins with the stationary abutments to bend up the ends of the previously bent and sheared-oi length of stock, and means for normally holding said forming pins in a predetermined position relative to the bending tools, said bending tools having cooperating surfaces for engaging the part during the operations thereon by the forming/pins@ EMIL SIRH, 

